Ari Kastrati

Ari Kastrati is the Chief Content, Hospitality and Development Officer (CCHDO) for (NYSE: MGM), an S&P 500® global hospitality and entertainment company. As CCHDO, he is responsible for driving strategic development solutions, creating transformative guest-centric strategies, and curating innovative experiences that deliver long-term value for the company. Mr. Kastrati leads a diverse team representing divisions that include Global design, development, hospitality, sports, entertainment, and retail. The company’s art and culture division and internal real estate efforts focused on leasing and development/partner relations also fall under his purview.

Mr. Kastrati plays a key role in leading MGM Resorts’ development projects around the world, focused on master planning/design, creative, programming and business development of projects such as MGM Japan and MGM Dubai, where he works closely with gaming development, strategic partners, government entities and community officials on the future introduction of integrated resorts (IR’s).

Prior to his current role, Mr. Kastrati was Chief Hospitality Officer, and had previously served as Senior Vice President of Global Food & Beverage. Among his accomplishments within those roles was the strategic reprogramming of the company’s food & beverage landscape to ensure its offerings matched evolving customer demands. Before transitioning to this corporate role, he was the Vice President of Food & Beverage at ARIA and Monte Carlo (now Park MGM). In these roles, he oversaw the daily operations of multiple high-volume restaurants, bars and lounges, as well as catering, banquets and in-room dining.

Mr. Kastrati’s career has included working in executive roles with the Mina Group, Caesars Palace and Charlie Trotter, three premier hospitality brands. In recognition of his work promoting Japanese food culture and products in the US and beyond, Ari had the honor of being named a Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan in 2019.

Ari spent his childhood in Europe and studied in Albania. He and his family are based in Las Vegas and enjoy traveling the world together whenever possible.